20 April 2009

Operation Leper: Lois Ng & Studio You

Lois Ng was part of the group of 9 who took over the AWARE executive committee with the help of more than 100 surprise new members at its April AGM, in a non-transparent and hostile takeover that has extended to a full scale purge of key sub-committees and a communications lockdown in the organisation.

Operation Leper monitors who they are working for, which voluntary, social, or welfare organisations and enterprises they join, and who hires them - and suggests you too can exercise your power as a citizen to oppose and impose sanctions on the group of 9.

Lois Ng is a social entrepreneur who set up Studio You. The outfit is a registered private company operating in the charity/welfare sphere, employing people with disabilities to make products, which are then sold commercially at various places.

Their products include - wedding gift items, novelty items ($500 lacquered boxes with images of MM Lee on them), and various and sundry handcrafted tile items.

These items are sold at counters at Lim's Art & Living at Holland Village, The American Club, Shangri-La Hotel gift shop, Singapore Art Museum gift shop, Times NewsLink at Changi Airport Departure/Transist Lounge at Terminal 1.

Operation Leper advises supporters of civil society to
1. Boycott all Studio You products

2. Make written and verbal representations to Lim's Art & Living, The American Club, Shangri-La Hotel gift shop, SAM gift shop, and the Terminal 1 Times NewsLink counter.

a. Protest the non-transparent, hostile, and destructive takeover of AWARE; state your disapproval of the role the founder of Studio You played in this takeover;

b. Firmly and politely object to the shop's display of the Studio You merchandise;

c. Make known your refusal to buy the merchandise, and preference for the shop to withdraw its display of the merchandise.

Contact details:
Lim's Art & Living: 211 Holland Ave #02-01 Singapore 278967. Tel: 64671300
The American Club: 10 Claymore Hill, Singapore 229573. Tel: 6737 3411
Shangri-la Hotel Singapore: 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore 258350. Tel: 6737 3644
Singapore Art Museum: 71 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189555. Tel: 6332 3222
Terminal 1 Times NewsLink: Terminal 1, Departure/Transit East #021-01. Tel: 6543 0712
Studio You Pte Ltd: 1 Lorong 23 Geylang, High Point Social Enterprise Ark, Blk 4 #01-11/12, Singapore 388352. Tel: 9816 7747

Lois Ng and the group of 9 must never be appointed to future leadership posts in politics, voluntary/social welfare groups, and NGOs. Any voluntary, social welfare group, or NGO that hires them will be opposed by Operation Leper.

They have proven that they are more suited to appointment in condo management committees; let's help them get there and stay there, where their skills at organisation subterfuge will be much appreciated and sought-after.

3 comments:

Mollari said...

This is too indiscriminate. Lois Ng is the intended target here, but you're putting several disabled people in your crosshairs by proposing the above.

akikonomu said...

As the owner of a company employing disabled people, Lois Ng decided to participate in the hostile takeover and purge of Aware. She clearly factored any boycott or protest action in her decision.

That's hugely irresponsible of her.

Obviously no one asked her when she participated in the takeover: What about the ordinary women of Singapore? They were all in her crosshairs when she participated in the putsch.

We do not view the disabled people at Studio You as Lois Ng's human shields.

There are plenty of other organisations and businesses where her disabled people can go. And I think they might want to go, if they were aware and cognisant of her role in the takeover.

Anonymous said...

From my read, while on the surface, it appears that that it is a "hostile" takeover BUT it is nevertheless an overt operation through proper AGM elections, which is transparent.

Prior to this, AWARE (a NGO which is suppose to be championing the rights of women in family and society) was already infiltrated by covert elements with hidden agenda of moving AWARE programs towards G L B T trend ?

The trend of AWARE (a NGO which is suppose to be championing the rights of women in family and society) prior to this recent change of leadership is outrageous and should be a concern of all Singaporeans.

Your call action here just show your own hidden agenda as well.